Explosion-proof reflector assembly for portable electric flashlights



W --\\\-::is,l m m w ...A /I V Pal Ml/ f m C 4 ..4 D u, W0@ s L. C.GRIMSLEY EXPLOSION-PROOF REFLECTOR ASS PORTABLE ELECTRIC F Filed Deo. 5,

4 O 4 O 6 .1 4 7 mw n3 hD 5 .n1/. M. fm no n/- .AIN 8 .D 1 A.. .U y \u|3 FL 0 f In QU III L. MIU. Hr/m r\ A Sept. 27, 1949.

Patented Sept. 27, 1949 EXPLOSION-PROOF REELEc'roR ASSEMBLY Fon PORTABLEELECTRIC FLASHLIGHTS Leopold C. Grlmsley, New York, N. Y., assigner toHenry Hyman, New York, N. Y.

Application December s, 1947, serialkNo. 789,515

This invention relates to explosion-proof reiiector assemblies and, asshown herein, is particularly adapted to be incorporated in a portableelectric flashlight of the type used in explosive atmospheres.

It is an object' of the invention to provide a flashlight of thecharacter described having an explosion-proof reflector assembly whichcomprises relatively few and simple parts and which is rapid andefficient in operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide an assembly of the typeunder consideration which is so constructed that it can be easilymanipulated to insert a flashlightl bulb and yet will positivelylock thebulb in place.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and inparthereinafter be pointed out.

'Ihe invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplifled in theV construction hereinafter described and of which thescope of application will be in'- dicated in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the variouspossible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a ashlight, the same being partially brokenaway in order to show the explosion-proof reflector assembly whichincorporates the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said ilashlight;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the flashlight, the samebeing taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; vand Fig. 4 is asectional view taken substantially along the line-4 4 of Fig. 3, andshowing the change in position experienced by the parts of theexplosion-proof refiectorassembly when the envelope of the lamp bulbbreaks.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral Il)denotes a flashlight which is conventional in all respects save for theexplosion-proof reiiector assembly I2." Said flashlight comprises amolded casing I4 of synthetic resin, such, for instance, as ethylcellulose. The casing is open at both ends and is adapted to houseilashlight batteries I6. The lower end of the casing is provided withamale thread I'I on which an internally tapped bottom cap I8 is screwed.The joint between the bottom'cap and casing is sealed by a rubber gasketI9. Said' capv is provided with an annular shoulder 20 to seat a taperedhelical battery compression spring 22. The lower end of the spring hasaninturnedleg 24 which engages 3 Claims. (Cl. Z110-11.3)

'lower end thereof. Said ferrule is in contact with a metal strip 28running longitudinally of casing I 4 and lying againstthe interiorsurface thereof. The strip 28 is connected by a rivet 30 to aconventional manually-operable flashlight switch 32 disposed on theexterior of the casing. This switch controls energization of anothermetal strip 34 which runs from said switch towards the upper end of thecasing and terminates in a resilient nger 36. Attention is called to thefact that the switch is rendered gas and water-tight by a rubberdiaphragm 31 interposed between the hand-operated parts and the currenthandling elements. v

Said upper end of the flashlight casing is formed with a male thread 38in order to have screwed thereon a lens cap 40. Said cap clamps a transNparent plastic disc 42 against .the upper rim of the casing. Rubberwashers 44, 46 are interposed between the lens cap and plastic disc andbetween the plastic disc and upper rirnA of the ashlight casing to sealthe upper end of the flashlight.

Thus, the interior of the iiashlight is isolated from the ambient air.

'The lens cap also holds in a place a metal reflector 48 having an upperflange 50 caught between the lower washer v46 and upper rim of thefiashlight casing. The center of the reflector is formed with a shallowrecess-52 large enough to accommodate the "flange 54 of a lamp 56 of thepush or pre-focus type having a glass envelope 58. The bottom wallof'said recess constitutes an inturned ledge to -which a metal screwshell 62 is connected by a spun-over flange 64. The lamp flange 54 whichisseated in the recess 52 comprises the side lamp contact and the sameis connected to the cup terminal of the lowermost battery through thereiiector 48, resilient finger 36, switch 32 and battery compressionspring 22.

The other leg of the electrical circuit to the batteries is completedwith the aid of a cupshaped bushing 66 of insulating material such as asynthetic resin. The interior of the bushing is rprovided with athreaded portion which is adapted to be screwed on the threaded portionof the'screw shell 62 so as topull the flange 64 against the ledges. Arivet 68 passes through thebottom wall of the bushing, the same beingemployed to hold' a disc 10 tothe outer surface of the bottom wall and adisc 12 to the inner surface `of the bottom wall. The lower end of saidrivet lies over and abuts the central terminal of the uppermost battery.The disc 'I2 is disposed at thev bottom of an upwardly convergingcentral a metal ferrule 26 riveted to lh@ asngat the Q5 wel).- 1,4integrally formed within the base of the circuit from the centralterminal of the upper-- most battery to the bottom 4contact ofthe lamp.l't may be mentioned thatalthough the V.circuit just described providesa shock proof mounting for the lamp which protects the'lamp from impactf upon dropping the batteries into the casing, this type of mounting isnot essential #to the practice of the invention, and in lieu thereof,the bottom lamp terminal merely may abut against the central terminal ofthe uppermost battery. Said shock proof mounting is shown, .describedand claimed in my .icopending `.app1ication "Serial No. 789,514 iiledDecember 3,' 19d?.

Means also provided Eto Ystrongly and .con-

tinuously bias the flamp upwardly .away from its operative positionshownnin Fig. i3. wherein the lamp nange 511 is :seated in the recess152 :and contacts the screw shell .flange 54. Said means :consists of .arelatively .strong .helical .compression spring 8S whose lower `endrests on .the base wall of the bushing and lenen-.cies the well '15. Theupper end of the .spring 0 s'of .a reduced diameter 'less than that .of`the lamp .shell d2. `The spring is of such length that when the lamp isin its operative position saidfspring is under coinpression. Thus, if`no restraint exercised to hold the lamp .seated in the recessV 252,.the 4spring 3i] will force the lamp away from the screw shell.Moreover, the spring is .so long that when 'the lamp is not restrained.said spring will force it .so far .away from the screw shell and fromthe reflector that the 'leg .of .the electric circuit to the lamp bulbthrough the reector automatically will Abe broken.

Means is included to press 'the envelope .of the lamp downwardly andthereby seat .the lamp flange 515 on the screw shell against the .actionof the spring 8l). Pursuant to the present invention, this means is vsoconstructed that it comprises very few and `simple parts so .arrangedthat they may be manipulated with ease when a new lamp is inserted or kadefective one removed. Said means comprises a yoke 84 of .elongatedslender stock, such, -for instance, as wire, the material of the stockbeing self-form-maintaining and preferably somewhat resilient. By wayLoi example, the wire of the yoke may be fabricated from steel. The yokeincludes a 'base 86 and two downwardly depending parallel legs 88, $0.The center E2 of the base is in the form .of a return bend or U as bestseen in Fig. 2. The bottom ends of the legs terminate in registeredout-turned toes 94.

The yoke is pivotally mounted on a hinge piece S which, in turn, ispivotally :secu-red to a ring es forced up on the bushing .against 'ashoulder mil. Said hinge piece comprises a curved strip tilt which canbe swung .on .the ring to lie snugly against a side of the bushing.adiacent .the base thereof. Integrally attached to the strip .are apair of upstanding arms IM which terminate in registered journals .HDwhose apertures pivotally receive rivet-like projections |172 upset fromthe ring 98. The tips of the projections extend through the .journalopenings and are spun over to captively hold the hinge rand Aringtogether.

-axis oi symmetry of the bushing 66.

4 The strip 104 also has integrally formed therewith a pair of outwardlyoffset ears H4 having apertures I I6 in which the toes 94 of the yokeare rotatably received.

The .journals I I0 and projections H2 are disposed on diametricallyopposite sides of the bushing 56 so that the hinge 96 turns about anaxis which is perpendicular to and .intersects the Said hinge can swingabout the projections I I'2 from a position in which the hinge is flatagainst the bushin g, as show-n in solid. lines in Fig. 1, to an upwardfand outward position, for example, that shown in dot-and-dash lines inthe same ligure. The

:apertures IIIS V(fthe `axis of relative rotation between the 4yoke andhinge) are so disposed with respect to the projections II2 (the axis ofrelative rotation between the hinge and ring) and the yla-rnpthat whenthe hinge is in operative position with the strip |04 in contact withthe bushing r6.6, and `'the ibase .of the 'yoke' pressing against thelamp .envelopexs'o as to .seat Ithe llamp inthe recess .'52, the legslofthe `yoke areon'lthe :opposite .side .of A the axis of rotation of :thehinge with respect to the ring from that on which :said legs .are.disposed when the hinge' is.. in its" idle (dotand-dash) position;`'1`his`re`l1atii'ne arrangement -is best shown in fL1. Preferably,.said Yarrangement is fsnch `that when y.theiralcove-Idescribedoperative position, the yoke legs are only slightly to one side fof .the4pivotal axis .connecting `the hinge and ring so that whenthe hinge ismoved .but a short distance away from the bushing iit'., saidr legs willbe shifted to l'the opposite side of the mentioned pivotal axis.

Means such as 'over-'sized apertures I IB in the reflector t8 .areprovided to pass the 'legs of the yoke andv constrain the yoke' for.sl'idable and pivotal movement .relative to "the reflector. Said lmeansyperforms several functions; it permits the yoke to extend from :the.envelope yto'the hinge; it `definitely locates the operative positionof the yoke; and it swings the base `of the yoke -out of the way to oneside when the hinge is shifted to .idle position.

To mount a lamp 56 in the reectorassembly,

the hinge member 96 is swung .to its outermost idle positionshownvintdot-and-das'h lines in Fig. 1.. In this position 'the yoke Ais'on theleft of the axis of pivotal connection 'betweenthe hinge `rand ring;lSince theyoke pivots about ithe'apertures I Ill, the base .86 of theyoke will`swirig upl and to the right of the lamp as 'seen in Figs. `1and 2. Such movement'is substantial and .so disposes the base of theyoke that it wiil not interfere Vwith .the .seatingof a lamp in thereflector. After the llamp is placed properly, thehinge is swung lto itsfull line position indicated 'in Fig. Vl. This will cause the returnbend V92 to press against the top of the g1assenvelope`of'the lampwiththe projecting tip V1 210 oi? Vthe lamp received within said bend. Theyoke is so proportioned that in such position it will hold the lampagainst its seat, overcoming the action of the compression spring 89.The bulb is urged outwardly away fromY the reector by said spring butthis action does not tend to move the hinge to idle position inasmuchas, although the base of the yoke is pushed upwardly by the springjthelegs of the yokeare so disposed Vwith respect tothe axis of pivotallconnection between the hinge member and ring that the spring pressureurges the hinge to "its operative position. A

Becausev shifting the hinge between idle and operative positionsinvolves swinging-'the legsV of an extent that contact i the yoke acrossthe fpivot'al 'axis' connecting the hinge and ring, said legs mustelongate at the time of crossing. Such lengthening is taken care of bymaking the yoke resilient, as already noted, so that the base 86canyieldfsomewhat at the critical moments.

It may be observed that swinging the hinge into operative position willpositively .seat the lamp but will not always v'dispose the bottom ofthe return" bend l92 This exact positioning of the yoke may beaccomplished by pressing the yoke manually after the hinge has beenclosed. Such additional movement of the yoke is permitted by theoversized openings H8.

If the envelope of the lamp should break, the base of the yoke no longerwill exert any restraint upon the lamp so that the compressed spring 8|)will force the baseof the lamp upwardly to such is broken between thespring 16 and the central terminal of the lamp, and between the lampflange 54 and shell 62 or reector. This latter position is illustratedin Fig. 4.

It thus will be seen that there is provided an explosion-proof reectorassembly which achieves the several objects of the invention and is welladapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in theaccompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, there is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent:

l. The combination with a flashlight reflector assembly comprising areflector having a large central opening through which the base of anelectric lamp is adapted to pass, said lamp being of the push insertiontype and having a central contact and a side contact in its base, meansassociated with the reflector for making electrical connection with thelamp contacts when the lamp is seated in the central opening, and meansto bias the lamp in a direction out of said opening, said means wheneffective opening the electrical connections with the lamp contacts: ofmeans to press against the envelope of the lamp so as to seat the samein the reflector against movement by said biasing means as long as theenvelope is unbroken, said pressing means comprising a bushing, means tosecure said bushing to said reflector beneath the lamp, a yoke includinga base and a pair of spaced legs extending from the base in the samedirection, a hinge member, means to pivotally secure said hinge memberto said bushing for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis ofsymmetry of the reflector and on the same side of the envelope as thelamp base, and means to pivotally attach the legs of the yoke to thehinge member for rotation about an axis parallel to said first-namedaxis, said hinge member being swingable about the rst-named axis from aposition in which it rests against said bushing to a position in whichit is spaced therefrom, said yoke member in the rst-named position ofthe hinge member having its base pressing the envelope of the lampagainst the biasing means so as to seat the lamp in the reflector andhaving its legs disposed on one side of the first-named axis, and saidyoke member in the second-named Aposition of the hinge member having itslegs disagainstv the tip of the lamp.

`posed Yon the other side of said first-named axis, said reflectorhaving ope' 'ngs thereinV through which the legs of the yoke pass.

2. The combination with a flashlight reflector assembly comprising areflector having a large central opening'through which the base of 'anelectric lamp is adapted to pass, said lamp being of the push insertiontype and having a central contact and a side contact in its base, meansassociated with the reflector for making electrical connection with thelamp contacts vwhen the lamp is seated in the central opening, andmeansto bias the lamp in a direction out of said opening, said means wheneffective opening the electrical connections with the lamp contacts: ofmeans to press against the envelope of the lamp so as to seat the samein the reflector against movement by said biasing means as long as theenvelope is unbroken, said pressing means comprising a bushing securedto the reflector below the lamp, a ring carried by the bushing, a yokeincluding a base and a pair of spaced legs extending from the base inthe same direction, a hinge member, means to pivotally secure saidmember to said ring for rotation with respect to the reflector about anaxis perpendicular to the axis of symmetry of the reflector and on thesame side of the envelope as the lamp base, means to pivotally attachthe legs of the yoke to the hinge member for rotation about an axisparallel to said firstnamed axis, said hinge member being swingableabout said first-named axis from a position in which it abuts saidbushing to a position in which it is spaced therefrom, said yoke memberin the first-named position of the hinge member having its base pressingthe envelope of the lamp 'against the biasing means so as to seat thelamp in the reflector and having its legs disposed on one side of thefirst-named axis, and said yoke member in the second-named position ofthe hinge member having its legs disposed on the other side of saidfirst-named axis, said reflector having openings therein to receive thelegs of the yoke.

3. The combination with a flashlight reflector assembly comprising areflector having a large central opening through which the base of anelectric lamp is adapted to pass, said lamp being of the push insertiontype and having a central contact and a side contact in its base, meansassociated with the reflector for making electrical connection with thelamp contacts when the lamp is seated in the central opening, and meansto bias the lamp in a direction out of said opening, said means wheneffective opening the electrical connections with the lamp contacts: ofmeans to press against the envelope of the lamp so as to seat the samein the reflector against movement by said biasing means as long as theenvelope is unbroken, said pressing means comprising a bushing, a yokeincluding a base and a pair of spaced legs extending from the base inthe same direction, a hinge member, means to pivotally secure said hingemember to said bushing for rotation about an axis perpendicular to theaxis of symmetry of the reflector and on the same side of the envelopeas the lamp base, and means to pivotally attach the legs of the yoke tothe hinge member for rotation about an axis parallel to said rstnamedaxis, said hinge member being swingable about the first-named axis froma position in which it rests against said bushing to a position in whichit is spaced therefrom, said yoke member in the first-named position ofthe hinge member having its base pressing the envelope of the lampagainst the biasing means so as to seat the REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 8 'UNITED VSTA'IIIS PA'I'ENTS Name Date Smith May 20, 1930Kopp et al May 19, 1942 Chandler June 2, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS CountryDate Sweden -6.111 Sept. 11, 1918

